Vanessa Wright, communications director of Chivas Brothers Scotch whisky, has become the first-ever female chairwoman of The Wine and Spirit's Trade Benevolent Society, in its 120-year history.
Read more...RidgeView, the award-winning sparkling wine from near the English south coast, was the toast at a celebration yesterday (15 June) at London's Mansion House to mark the Queen's 80th birthday and the culmination of the BBC's Great British Menu series.
Read more...The European Commission has released radical proposals for the reform of the European wine regime that would see table wines allowed to carry vintage and variety; financial support for distillation ended; and the removal of 400,000 hectares (ha) of vineyards - an area more than three times the size of South Africa's total producing area.
Read more...There are three things Dan Jago is keen to talk about these days: Tesco, Tesco and Tesco. Just a month after settling in at the company's Cheshunt offices - with the last week spent working in store, stacking shelves to learn about the heart of the business' - he's certainly caught the Tesco bug
Read more...London City Bond has entered into a three-year agreement to warehouse and distribute Edward Cavendish wines in the UK.
Read more...What possessed you to buy a shop on a really busy A' road between the two parts of a Kent village?
Read more...Chinese wine consumers are extremely price-conscious, and have yet to develop a palate for top-quality wine, according to a new survey.
Read more...By Jack Hibberd
After a month in his new job, Tesco's new BWS director Dan Jago has promised a faster, more proactive' relationship with both suppliers and consumers in an attempt to make Tesco the world's best wine retailer within three years'.
Wine brand Blue Nun is launching two major consumer sampling campaigns - with lingerie store Ann Summers and fashion retailer Dorothy Perkins. Both campaigns are targetted to reach 18- to 25-year-old females.
Read more...The decision to focus on top-of-the-market wines and increase its prices is paying off for Laurent-Perrier. The Champagne group enjoyed strong growth in the 12 months to 31 March, with operating profits up 21% to 41.3 million, and group net profit 38% ahead to 22.5 million.
Read more...Australian producer McGuigan Simeon revealed last week that it will write down the value of its wine stocks by up to AUS$20 million.
Read more...The 6 to 7 price band is booming in the UK's multiple grocers - with sales by volume up 27% in the last year.
Read more...By Jack Hibberd
The 2006 edition of The Wine Show London - which with its first event established itself as the most important consumer event in the wine trade calendar - will be 30% larger than last year, with a host of new exhibitors signed up for the four-day event (26-29 October).
By Tony Keys
We have a dream' appears to be the mantra coming out of the wine industry of the southern Australian state of Victoria. The dream, for once, is not all theoretical hyperbole; goals and aspirations, including real figures, have been included. The strategic plan for the Victorian wine industry 2006-2010 aims to:
The 2006 New Zealand harvest is the largest ever, with the figure of 185,000 tonnes beating the previous record, set in 2004, by 11%. Sauvignon Blanc accounted for around half the total, at 96,000 tonnes.
Read more...As reported in Harpers last month, South African producer KWV has bought a stake in NMK Schulz, a distributor in the Cape that handles wines such as Simonsig and Warwick, and also Stella Artois and Grolsch.
Read more...A report by action group Greenpeace claims that Champagne vineyards could be at risk following the reopening of a radioactive waste dump in the region.
Read more...A decade ago, cider had hit rock bottom. A new drinks category had emerged: the alcopop. Brands like Two Dogs and Hooch quickly made inroads into the market, and cider was the main casualty. By the turn of the millennium, alcopop sales had overtaken cider for the first time.
Read more...Port producer Symington Family Estates is currently in discussion with Beam Global Spirits & Wine regarding taking over production from rival house Cockburn's.
Read more...Constellation Brands has finally completed its C$1.22 billion (590 million) acquisition of Canadian company Vincor - with both shareholder and court approval now given.
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